With so much happening in the MSV world in 2016, there were many
fantastic moments worth celebrating, including standout events at
our circuits, in our many race championships and series and
MSV-affiliated drivers.

It's been hard to pick the best, but here's a top ten of
our favourites from the year, in chronological order.

Jolyon Palmer races in F1

After impressing the Lotus F1 team in 2015, Jolyon Palmer was
rewarded with a full-time drive with the squad, which was bought by
Renault at the end of the season. With the French manufacturer
arriving too late to fully-develop the new car, it was clear that
this would be a tough year for Jolyon. Nevertheless, an storming
debut drive in Australia where he held back Toro Rosso chargers
Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen for many laps almost netted him a
point, and as the year progressed, the 25-year-old became Renault's
pace-setter ahead of his more experienced team-mate, Kevin
Magnussen. Jolyon was rewarded with a contract extension as well as
his first points-scoring finish and now looks forward to a strong
2017.

British F3 returns

When the old British Formula 3 Championship ended in 2014, a gap
between the nursery single-seater categories and international
racing opened up. This was filled by a new, lower-cost championship
that evolved from the MSV-run BRDC F4, using the new Tatuus car
trialled in the previous year's Winter Series and an uprated
Cosworth engine. New teams came on board and with a close title
battle eventually won by Brazilian Matheus Leist, the new BRDC
British F3 Championship has comfortably filled the void left by
F3's previous incarnation.

F4 Master joins experience line-up and stars in ITV's
Drive series

With a new car for the renamed BRDC British F3 Championship, the
old, Ralph Firman-designed F4 car was recommissioned as Brands
Hatch's new driving experience car, making it the most authentic
single-seater experience in the UK. As well as thrilling the public
and critics alike, it also starred in ITV's Drive celebrity
contest. After completing a series of driving challenges, the
finalists, including Angus Deyton and Johnny Vegas, took part in a
race at Bedford Autodrome in the F4 car, eventually won by rapper
Professor Green.

Celebrity race appearances

The BTCC kicked off at Brands Hatch in April with Emmerdale's
Kelvin Fletcher on the grid and when the championship appeared at
Oulton Park, the Oldham-based actor was a huge hit during the pit
walk. After filming what turned out to be the BBC's last series of
The Great British Bake Off, Paul Hollywood joined the British GT
field and raced an Aston Martin at Snetterton in August, just a few
weeks since trying out our GT86 rally car at Brands Hatch in
preparation for Top Gear's Star in a Rallycross Car. By the end of
the month, Olympic cycling hero Jason Kenny was racing a Radical,
emblazoned with six Gold Medals (and one Silver) at Brands
Hatch.

Playboy racers James Hunt and Barry Sheene
celebrated

To mark 40 years since James Hunt and Barry Sheene won their
respective World Championships, Brands Hatch celebrated motor
racing's playboy stars this season. At the Masters Historic
Festival, James's son Freddie Hunt was guest of honour and joined a
line-up of his father's cars, even driving the Chevrolet Camaro
that James raced to victory in the Tour of Britain, in a special
parade. During the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Big
Brands Bash in August, there was a commemorative display of Barry
Sheene's bikes and a tribute livery from the Bennetts Suzuki team,
before a parade run in the 'wrong' direction to mark the great
man's appearance in the Hutchinson 100, just weeks after he won the
500cc World Championship.

Montreal corner renamed in tribute to Justin
Wilson

Snetterton's second corner, the Montreal hairpin, was renamed in
honour of late Indycar star Justin Wilson in July. Wilson corner
was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Jonathan Palmer, who managed
Justin's career, as well as Justin's parents, Keith and Lynne. It
was renamed in time for the Norfolk venue's annual BTCC round,
appropriate as Justin first came to prominence in the
BTCC-supporting Formula Vauxhall categories in the 1990s.

New Festival Italia builds on American SpeedFest
successes

This year's American SpeedFest IV was the biggest and best yet,
now covering two days, with NASCAR Whelen Euro Series racing,
Disney's Lightning McQueen and a Mariachi band amongst the many
highlights. The same successful formula was also applied to a brand
new event celebrating all things Italian. Festival Italia included
demonstrations from Italian F1 cars, Ferrari racing and a huge
Italian car parade, plus an authentic Italian market amongst the
many coveted motors. If you missed it, it's back in 2017 as well as
American SpeedFest V!

F1 returns to the Oulton Park Gold Cup

A race for the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association featured F1
machinery from the 1950s and 60s at this year's Historic Gold Cup
event, recalling the early years of the famous race when greats
such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Jim Clark came to Cheshire.
To celebrate this, the famous trophy was recreated and awarded to
the winner of the race, Lotus 18/21 driver Peter Horsman. Further
cheer was provided by a demonstration of the incredible-sounding
BRM H16-engined Lotus 43, as driven by Jim Clark in period.

Shedden secures his place amongst the BTCC
legends

As late as midsummer, Gordon Shedden's title defence was in
tatters, but he began a fight back to start the finale at Brands
Hatch with only Sam Tordoff heading him in the title race. A
masterclass in Touring Car driving from Shedden that final weekend
ensured that he entered the last race just two points adrift of the
title lead. Despite starting behind his rival, his ruthlessly
efficient overtaking manoeuvres, including the crucial pass on
Tordoff, won him a third championship. This puts him equal with
team-mate Matt Neal and just one behind Andy Rouse's all-time BTCC
record as well as being the first driver to successfully defend a
title since Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Shakey wins his fifth MCE BSB title

With 2015 MCE BSB Champion Josh Brookes out of the way, nothing
was going to stop Shane 'Shakey' Byrne was claiming his fifth
crown. Until superstar Leon Haslam returned from the world stage
and began to win races on his Kawasaki. It didn't help that it took
a few rounds for Shakey to get the hang of his new Ducati but once
he did, only the Pocket Rocket could stop him. A grand slam weekend
at Oulton Park put Haslam ahead going into the Showdown, but Shakey
regained his form and sealed the deal at his home circuit Brands
Hatch in October.

You can enjoy many more great moments with MSV's range
of 2017 Season Passes, available from £85. Click here for more information or to purchase
a pass.